Tok
by whovianwho
Summary: The Doctor encounters a universe that has been killed and the being that murdered it


Somewhere in time…

The Doctor is at his console, peering at his view screen. Outside the TARDIS is empty space in all directions. In one spot, the space is a slightly different color than the surrounding blackness. "Well well, what are you?" the Doctor asks the fissure. He turns to his console and pushes a few buttons. "It would appear," he mutters to himself, "that you are some kind of door to another universe. It's quite puzzling." His serious tone brightens and he spins around. "Luckily for the both of us, I like puzzles." He studies the screen intently before moving a few levers. "In we go then."

The TARDIS silently moves towards in the tear in space until directly inside, straddling the two universes. Inside the other universe it looks much the same, except for the huge, floating platform a kilometer ahead. The Doctor turns a few dials zooming in on it. " Well well what is this?" he asks the empty air. "A 'welcome to a different universe' information center?" he wonders aloud. "I suppose we should have a closer look, eh girl?" He zooms the viewer closer to the platform and sees what appears to be a figure standing in the center, waiting. "Looks like the staff is awake." He smiles and laughs to himself for a moment, then realizing there is no one there to enjoy his joke, stops abruptly.

The TARDIS moves inside the fissure, pauses a moment then continues on. It flies toward the platform and slowly descends, settling with an audible bump. Inside, the Doctor checks some readings. "Breathable air, gravity, one lifeform. All completely impossible which seems normal somehow." He squints at a screen then bangs on its side in disbelief. "One... unidentifiable… lifeform. Fascinating." He peers at the view screen. He swallows rather hard then pulls the lever to open the doors. He waits a moment or two then says to the console, "I'm going to go say hello. Be back in a jiff." He strides down the ramp and exits the TARDIS.

Outside the platform is made of marble. Two statues flank each side of the platform and they look uncomfortably familiar. The Doctor stops to straighten his necktie and puts on his friendliest smile. A girl stands with her hands folded, smiling brightly. The Doctor clears his throat, then says, "Hello there! I'm," The girl stops him quietly, "I know who you are Doctor."

"Do you now?" he asks brightly. "A whole nother universe and I'm well known here too." He studies the girl, his brow furrowing, "Have we met before?"

The girl smiles at him, "Do you not know this face?"

After a moment recognition lights in his eyes. He straightens his jacket then asks, "What are you doing here and more importantly… how did you do that?" he points towards the tear in space.

The girls laughs and says, "I'm here to put your mind at ease and as for that, " she nods towards the fissure, "it was a simple matter of compression on the Eye of Harmony."

He began to pace in short strides. He turns towards her and asks, "Those statues there, are they real?" He gestures towards both ends of the platform.

"Scan them if you like." She smiles brightly.

The Doctor reaches into an inner pocket of his jacket and retrieves his sonic screwdriver. He holds it out to one and then the other, studying the readings. "So.." he begins, having new found respect for the girl, "you've turned both Rassilon and Davros into living ornaments. Incredible." He whirls towards her, "Are you here, waiting for me?" he asks, beginning to look around nervously.

"Of course I am," she responds. "I knew you'd come. You'll always come."

"In that case," he asks wryly, "why am I here?"

She sighs, "Because they're dead. There was no one left."

"Who's dead?" he asks cautiously.

She holds her arms up and out, before responding, "Everyone, everywhere. I've killed them all and needed a new challenge."

"Impossible" he says slowly. "The universe is way too big to just off everyone."

"Use my scanner." She says. She gestured in the air and some advanced looking screens appeared with an advanced floating keyboard. She turns to him, "See for yourself."

The Doctor walks to the screens and his fingers fly at the keyboard. The images on the screens begin moving, zooming. As soon as the screen zooms in, the screen rushes off to a new image. Planets and systems fill the screen and he studies each for a moment before the images change. Several minutes go by and the Doctor's shoulders slump. "They're all dead… everywhere. Every planet, every system." He turns to the girl, "Why would you do such a thing?"

The girl interlaces her fingers in front of her and says quietly, "I hated them, hated them all. They all didn't die at once, I had to hunt most of them down."

The Doctor remarks quietly, "That's an awful lot of hate to kill an entire universe. How did you do it? What technology did you use?" He demanded.

The girl smiles knowingly. She laughs for a moment, then replies, "Tarladek."

The Doctor's face goes white and he whispers, "Tarladek." He stands up straight then points a finger at the girl, his face purpling in rage, "Tarladeks aren't real! They're not even possible!"

"Oh but they are, my dear Doctor." She gestures at the statues, "Both of my Fathers created one."

"You're what?" the Doctor asks in disbelief. His eyes narrow as he points his screwdriver at her. "You aren't my Granddaughter! Who are you?"

The girl gently folds her arms, cocking her head. "I wonder if even your mind can handle this." She looks at the Doctor, "My name is Tok."

The Doctor is stricken further into fear, "Tok. You can't be Tok. Tok is a legend that can never come true!" his voice was almost pleading.

The girls face lost all innocence and for a moment she looked not like a girl at all. She pointed at the TARDIS, "Behold." A bright beam shot from her finger, striking the TARDIS. It glowed and shimmered, then with a wrenching sound disappeared.

"What did you do!" the Doctor shouted at her.

She smiled at him again, "I've just destroyed your TARDIS."

"Nooooo!" the Doctor sobbed, falling to his knees in front of where his TARDIS had sat a moment before.

The girl walked over and stood in front of him. "I really thought this would be harder." She sighed. "Before you die, I will show you my true form so that you will know what has been done and what is coming for you. For.. all of you." she finished. Her form winked out and what stood in front of him froze the blood in his veins. It had the form of a Dalek but there were some differences. Instead of the rows of power nodules adorning its base the spaces were recessed like giant cup holders. In addition to it's regular speaking lights around it's dome it had a large central light on the very top. The weapon it carried was not the daleks' usual disruptor emitter; this one carried a demat gun. The most horrendous thing of all was the thing's color… TARDIS blue. A small metal plate was affixed to the front which read, "For Police Use Only". A flat electronic voice blares out, the lights on the dome flashing in time, "The repairs to the chameleon circuit have been completed."

The Doctor scooted away from it in terror. He pushed a button on his sonic screwdriver and it began to make a powerful screaming noise. Tok said in an even more powerful voice over the sound of the screwdriver, "Now you understand what you face. And in case you wondered, yes, it's much bigger on the inside." The demat gun flashed and the Doctor was no more.

Tok the Tarladek looked at the now silent screwdriver on the ground. Its form changed into a man with brown curly hair wearing a long brown coat. A long scarf that touched the ground was wrapped around his neck. He bent over and picked the screwdriver up. "Fascinating." He said, turning it over. He walks over to Davros in his mobile chair and places a hand on his shoulder. "Aren't you proud of your creation Father?" Davros, his face fixed in a silent scream says nothing. Beneath one of the fixed eyes a single tear tracks down his ancient, ravaged face.

Tok walks over to the floating screens, touching a few buttons. "Maybe the next one will be more sporting. I hated everyone but the one I hate most is me." The fissure between universes closed without a sound. The turned a dial and the fissure opened again, a different universe on the other side. "Now all I have to do is wait. The Doctor always comes." He chuckled to himself, his voice becoming flatter and more electronic. The chuckling becomes mad laughter. The mad laughter becomes bleats of merry hatred. He changed back into the Tarladek form and the light on top of its' dome began to flash. The Tarladek began emitting a screeching noise, like the fabric of the universe being torn open. It fades and vanishes like it had never been.

Zoom away from the platform.

To be continued


End file.
